ATL, BTL and Integrated Marketing Communication

Most outdated (if I may) definitions of IMC seem to say that it is an approach to use effectively all the promotional methods and means together for promotion of an activity via a seamless experience. However, a more contemporary (and therefore more easily agreeable) definition of the same thing includes the specific words creative campaigns and marketing strategies bringing it closer to the actual IMC practices. The one definition I could agree upon has been stated in the following manner:

True IMC is the development of marketing strategies and creative campaigns that weave together multiple marketing disciplines (paid advertising, public relations, promotion, owned assets, and social media) that are selected and then executed to suit the particular goals of the brand.

Prior to the emergence of integrated marketing communications during the 1990s, mass communications – the practice of relaying information to large segments of the population through television, radio, and other media – dominated marketing strategy. Marketing was once used as a one-way feed. Advertisers broadcasted their offerings and value proposition with little regard for the diverse needs, tastes, and values of consumers.

Often, this "one size fits all" approach was costly and ineffective due to its general inability to measure results in terms of sales. As methods for collecting and analyzing consumer data through single-source technology such as store scanners improved, marketers were able to correlate promotional activities with consumer purchasing patterns. Companies also began downsizing their operations and expanding marketing tasks within their organizations. Advertising agencies were also expected to understand and provide all marketing functions – not just advertising – for their clients. Therefore, the importance of IMC keeps rising as the world of advertisements shifts paradigms constantly.

A very interesting analogy I came across on the internet which helped me understand IMC better is something I have shared below-people with a sweet tooth and a decent enough knowledge about the names of end-of-food delicacies will certainly enjoy this particular image!

ATL (Above The Line) Promotion:

ATL is a type of advertising through media such as television, cinema, radio, print, and Out-of-home to promote brands or convey a specific offer. This type of communication is conventional in its nature and is considered impersonal to customers. It differs from BTL advertising, which uses unconventional brand-building and promotional strategies, such as direct mail, sales promotions, flyers, point-of-sale, telemarketing and printed media (for example brochures) – and usually involves no motion graphics. It is much more effective than when the target group is very large and difficult to define.

BTL (Below The Line) Promotion: 

BTL sales promotion is an immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having short duration. It is efficient and cost-effective for targeting a limited and specific group. It uses less conventional methods than the usual ATL channels of advertising, typically focusing on direct means of communication, most commonly direct mail and e-mail, often using highly targeted lists of names to maximize response rates. BTL services may include those for which a fee is agreed upon and charged up front.
BTL is a common technique used for "touch and feel" products (consumer items where the customer will rely on immediate information rather than previously researched items). BTL techniques ensures recall of the brand while at the same time highlighting the features of the product.
Another BTL technique involves sales personnel deployed at retail stores near targeted products. This technique may be used to generate trials of newly launched products. It helps marketers establish one-to-one relationship with consumers while mass promotions, by definition, make it difficult to gauge consumer-response, except at the time of sales. Examples include tele-marketing, road shows, promotions, in- shop and shop-front activities, display units.

McDonald’s has operated with a very simplistic marketing strategy by using Above The Line marketing techniques like television, OOH and print media. This is also because McDonald’s already had global brand equity, therefore to make waves in India; the brand just had to resort to the basic marketing techniques.

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McDonald’s started out its marketing campaign in the form an advertisement it had rolled out post its arrival. Since the very beginning, the brand has employed conventional mediums of print and television to promote itself.

Through the years the brand has rolled out different campaigns on Television to build its brand image. Starting out with the “McDonald’s mai hai kuch baat” campaign,  to the “aapke zamane mein baap ke zamane ke daam” and the  world wide "I am lovin it!"campaign. Till this day, in order to promote its products, McDonald’s is heavily promoting it through television and OOH promotion.

In terms of tie-ups, sponsorship or events McDonald’s does not participate in anything nation-wide. Although it was the main sponsor of London Olympics. In India, the conventional mediums like television and print give the brand the mileage it needs, and today McDonald’s enjoys a healthy brand equity in India.

Though I was never enticed by the 'I'm lovin it' campaign and tagline, it is true (yes-confessions coming up..) that I have been a regular Mc'Donalds customer in Pune and might just have a dubious record of having eaten the largest number of combo meals (Here I quote myself-"not a burger, not a beverage and not a single serving of fries-A whole COMBO!") with Mc'Chicken sandwich the most preferred-it was “aapke zamane mein baap ke zamane ke daam” that definitely caught my attention like that of so many others in my college, my neighborhood, area, city, state and country. That augmented with the advertisements has been IMC enough to make people wait in literal lines that extended upto the doors of the store. I might have said I am not a big fan of the brand, but exhaustive (!) research on the topic has to some extent convinced me to unquote myself here. I stand corrected today-not yet a loyalist, but definitely not in the bucket I was when I started this blog.